Lucrative purses are the tone of the day at Caulfield on Saturday, April 25th!
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The Showdown boasts a $1 million prize pool, but nearly every race carries the VOBIS tag, and the accepted fields are subsequently full of talent.
Check out my full Victorian Owners & Breeders Day preview below.
RACE 1 - 11:50AM: Barastoc Handicap (1200m)
Pure Paradise takes winning form into this contest and looks capable of making it two in a row.
The daughter of Capitalist has won two of her last three starts, bookending a credible effort for fifth in the Group 2 Angus Armanasco Stakes.
She's hard fit and does look up to winning something of this quality.
1 Unit Pure Paradise
RACE 2 - 12:20PM: Here For The Horses Handicap (1800m)
Moya Lass was good through the line to win at Sandown when resuming earlier this month and can go on with it in Saturday metro company.
The Caravaggio mare raced well last time in, only just missing a couple of sharp black type races in Adelaide most notably, but her first run back this time hinted at improvement.
Out to the 1800m looks ideal, she just need some luck in running after drawing wide.
2 Units Moya Lass
RACE 3 - 12:55PM: VOBIS Gold Mile (1600m)
Pounding looks ideally placed to win the VOBIS Gold Mile on Saturday.
The Group 1 placegetter mixed his form a little during the spring, but he returned to action with an eye-catching effort to finish third, beaten a head in the lucrative Country Discovery at Yarra Valley when resuming this time.
He's a winner at this point of his preparation previously and he looks to have a lot of these rivals covered for class.
3 Units Pounding
RACE 4 - 1:30PM: VOBIS Gold Distaff (1400m)
Extratwo has found career-best form this time in, and I thought that the VOBIS Gold Distaff looked a perfect feature race for her.
Extratwo refused to jump when resuming at The Valley back in January and took no part, but she followed up that forgettable night with consecutive wins over 1200m.
Having worked home well behind an impressive Chortlon Lane at Bendigo on Golden Mile Day, she's cherry ripe and can find her way to the rail immediate from barrier 1 this week.
2 Units Extratwo
RACE 5 - 2:05PM: VOBIS Gold Heath (2000m)
I'm happy to give Berkeley Square one final chance in what should prove ideal conditions at Caulfield this week.
Berkeley Square hasn't won a race for more than a year now, but he has turned in a couple of nice performances this time in, and was only denied by a good Young Werther two starts back.
He finished fifth, beaten a little over a length in the Group 3 Easter Cup at his latest, and this does look to be a weaker race.
2 Units Berkeley Square
RACE 6 - 2:40PM: VOBIS Platinum Guineas (1600m)
Modown has returned three sharp performances since resuming this time and looms as the one to beat again in the VOBIS Platinum Guineas.
Modown was unlucky to only just miss over 1200m at Pakenham when resuming this time, but took big improvement into an easy win over 1200m at the same track.
Having filled the minors in the Bendigo Guineas at his latest, he's hard fit and primed to strike in something of this quality.
3 Units Modown
RACE 7 - 3:15PM: VOBIS Gold Sprint (1200m)
This is an excellent edition of the VOBIS Gold Sprint with plenty of winning chances engaged, but I am keen to stick with the third-up General Beau.
General Beau returned to action to finish fourth, beaten just over a length in one of these VOBIS races last month before finishing an agonizingly close second in a photo in the Country Discovery.
Fitter third-up, this is his level, and he can win.
3 Units General Beau
RACE 8 - 3:55PM: VOBIS Platinum Showdown (1200m)
$1 million goes on the line in The Showdown and Bold Bastille has opened a $1.55 favourite for the top prize.
Bold Bastille has made five appearances at the races for four victories, winning each of his last three, all in featured company, impressively.
I think he'll win again, but he is too short for me at current odds, so I am going to select him as the winner in a Same Race Multi and pump up my odds with Bisdee running into the first three.
Same Race Multi selections:
► No. 8 Bold Bastille (Win)
► No. 4 Bisdee (Top 3)
RACE 9 - 4:30PM: VOBIS Gold Dash (1200m)
Hedged was desperately unlucky not to win the Arrowfield Sprint up at Randwick on Day 2 of The Championship, but he can strike back in the VOBIS Gold Dash.
He was an eye-catching winner down the straight at HQ when resuming this time, and after a luckless but somewhat flat effort in the Sunlight Stakes, he absolutely stormed home under Damien Lane to finish second in a photo last time out.
He's hard fit and he is my best bet on the program.
5 Units Hedged
RACE 10 - 5:05PM: DCE Handicap (1400m)
Open race and a tough way to end the day from a betting perspective, but I am going to have something small on the resuming Jimmy The Bear.
Jimmy The Bear hasn't been seen at the races since September, but he turned in some fine performances last time in, winning over a mile here at Caulfield and placing in black type company most notably.
He's had the benefit of a nice trial leading up to Saturday's return and this does look a perfect launchpad.
1 Unit Jimmy The Bear
